Folding playpens and folding play yards are used with children and in recent years, there has been an ever increasing concern for improving the safety of such. One way of addressing safety concerns is to make such devices less prone to accidental manipulation or manipulation by the child. In particular, it is desired to make folding playpens and folding play yards less prone to accidental folding up or being caused to be folded up by the child within or near the folding playpens and folding play yards. Accordingly, it can be seen that needs exist for a device to reduce the risk of folding playpens and folding play yards folding up by accident or by interaction with the child.
It is to the provision of a locking hinge assembly meeting these and other needs that the present invention is primarily directed.